Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-24

in Egypt and the Red Sea testify to the
phenomenon. Some consider it objec-
tive, and others believe it to be subjec-
tive.
The recent embargo on coal has slim
ulated the use of crude oil or petroleum
as a substitute for coal, with some manu-
facturers. The liquid is conducted from
the tanks to the furnaces in pipes, to
burn under the boilers in the shape of
spray. 1t can be turned off at mo-
ment's notice. There is said to be say
ing in it of 70 per cent.
THE mayor of Cherbourg, France, has
issued circular stating that q monument
in memory of Jean Francois Millet, the
French peasant and painter, will be erect
ed ia one of the public squares of that
town, which has started the movement
with an appropriation of $4,000, and ap-
peaIs for further aid "to all those who
would perpetuate the fame of one of the
greatest masters of the French school,"
A SPRINGFIELD, Mass, man has discov-
cred what has long been pretty we'll
known-that the real mission of the mos
quito is to purify. He has two hogs
aeads filled with water, and in one he put
lot of wrigglers or embryo mosquitoes.
The water free from the wrigglers soon
became foul, but that containing them
remained sweet So he concluded that
mosquitoes keep our swamps from be-
coming foul and pestilent.
THE interstate commerce law, which
will go into operation about April l, has
impelled the Pennsylvania and Boston
and Lowell Railroads to issue notices to
shippers that present tariffs and special
rates will be withdrawn; in the case of
the Pennsylvania on April and in that
of the Boston and Lowell on April L. The
roads are in doubt as to how the law will
bear upon them, and are taking action to
protect themselves. This doubt on the
part of the roads as to just how the law
is going to work calls attention to the fact
that there are many crudities and con-
tradictions N the measure, and empha-
sizes the necessity for the appointment of
clear-headed and conservative men on
the commission which is to enforce it.
IT is said that Albany is the only capt.
tai of the original thirteen states that
was not captured during the Revolution
ary war. 1t stood like a Gibraltar of the
colonial cause, when Boston, New York
and Philadelphia had fallen. Enemies
endeavored to capture it from the north,
but melted away by the time they reached
Saratoga. Time and time again did tbs
English troops attempt to force their way
up the Hudson, with i'll success. During
the war of 1912 the attempt was again
made to capture Albany from the north,
but though the capital of the nation was
pillaged, Albany remained in security.
Even in the dark days of the seventeenth
century the French and Indians did not
come closer than Schenectady.
an '71-'S4" is the official appellatien of
the new weapon adopted by the German
army, which, translated or rather written
out in full, would signify: "Mauser, gun
invented in 1871, changed into magazine
gun 1884" Tee first Improvement to be
noted is the fact that empty cartridges
after firing are expelled by spring in
stead of being jerked out by movement
of the hand. Another Improvement is
the easy use of the trigger and almost en-
tire absence of recoil. The magazine
consisting of barrel running parallel
with the bore, contains eight cartridges,
which are pushed backward by means of
spiral spring. As they enter the lower
chamber of the lock so-called spoon
lifts them into the firing chamber, whence
the shells are subsequently expelled by a
special continuance.
In 1887 Matthew Croker, of Buffalo
n. Y, bought five thousand acres of land
in the mountains of Tennessee for mere
song, from party holding the property
under state grant. As it would have
cost more than it was worth to reclaim it
the claim was lost sight of. Now. how
ever several railroads have run through
the property, greatly increasing its value
it is but natural then, that parties who
can by any means lay claim to land there
ale eagerly searching for evidence of title.
An enterprising lawyer, Mr.. D. McGufey,
of Chattanooga, Tenn, has made it a
study to hunt up matters of this kind
and he it was who first discovered that
the heirs of Matthew Croker are EMIT
sold judicious, would not realize short of
900 IL !.